Training Journals

Here is a piece from JohnBrian on the importance of keeping a training journal…

Why should I keep one?

When somebody is starting out on achieving their fitness goals they often set goals that will take months (or years) to achieve from their starting point such as getting a ‘6 pack’ – or below 10% body fat, running a 5k in under 20 minutes or hitting performance goals such as 2x bodyweight squats, all of which can take a lot of work and consistency to achieve and are not achievable without a solid body of training behind you.

A training journal can put a larger perspective on your fitness journey when it feels like it’s faltering or failing, if your week to week performance is declining you can still look back on you performances from months back and realise you have actually come a long way, even if your recent performances have not continued that linear progression.

Realistically, once you come out of your ‘novice’ phase of progression and move into early intermediate levels of performance the progressions will not be as linear and you will need to manage your load based on different factors such as sleep, injuries, work, other sports (if you play any) and any other variables that may affect your physical week being in order to actually avoid regression. More training does not always equate to making progress but smarter, consistent training with managed workloads will achieve progress at a sustainable rate.

What should I put in it?

A training journal does not only have to take note of your physical sessions. It can take note of nutrition, sleep, energy levels, mood and other variables that you want to take note of. It can help you to note when your performance dips, is it because your mood isn’t great or your energy levels are low because of poor nutrition. A training journal can help identify patterns in your training when applied consistently.

Nutrition is an especially pertinent factor in many peoples goals when they join a gym. One of the main goals of almost everyone is to look better. This is not viable without appropriate nutrition and understanding that beginning to train is NOT a license to eat whatever you want, if anything it is a reason to monitor what you eat even more closely as you do not want all that effort you are making in the gym to bear no fruit because of a lack of structure in your nutrition. Even something as basic as a simple calorie goal to stay under if you want to lose weight, or over if you want to gain weight while using a food tracking app can provide a great understanding and awareness of your own dietary habits. Then adding in hydration – bringing a 2 litre bottle of water to work – or protein intake – having a source of protein with every meal – can provide benefits to your physique and physical performance.

Setting objectives can be done and recorded in your training journal giving them a permanence and making you accountable to yourself in your quest to achieve them. Just make them reasonable, if in doubt you can always ask your coach to help you set achievable goals!

Even use it to note motivational quotes or to jot down motivating factors to help you remember why you are putting yourself through the pain on the ergs…

How to use it?

Write down what your session was, the loads used so it could look like

A. Squat 3 x 5 – 80, 80, 80

B. Chins 3 x 5 – 5, 5, 3

C. 500m row – 1.32

When you come to the next session and the coach says add on 2.5% to your last squat, you know exactly what that is (2kgs). Since you filed your last set of chins the previous week then maybe doing 5 sets of 3 will be more productive and you should aim to beat your previous 500 m row time (always!)

Keep a page at the back for PR’s and for Objectives and pronto you have a training journal – doesn’t have to be anything fancy!

South Dublin Strength & Conditioning

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An avid GAA player I was devastated when injury caused me to hang up my boots much earlier than I had hoped. Joining SDSC was one of the best things I have done. Dave tailored every exercise to ensure I got strong without aggravating my old injuries. Prior to joining the gym, I could not squat my own body weight without having pain but within a few months I was squatting 70 kg pain free. SDSC not only improved by physical health but also gave me back the thing I missed most about GAA, that sense of training with your friends and having fun. I had tried joining commercial gyms after I finished GAA but I never continued with them. For me, the most important thing is to enjoy your training and look forward to going to the gym and that shone true in SDSC. I also recently had a baby and I'm 100% sure the strength I gained while training with Dave ensured I was able to stay fit during pregnancy and recover well after it. I cannot recommend this gym highly enough.

Chrissie

I have been performing much better on the pitch recently. I am feeling fitter, stronger and totally on point. I have no doubt it is due to the hours put in at the gym. I really appreciate the work and patience Dave puts in it is all paying off in spades!

Aoife

Since joining the gym I have gone on a different path. I’ve been looking after myself both physically and mentally in a way I’ve never done before and as a result I’ve really managed to achieve a lot of things. I do honestly think joining SDSC was the start of it all…It gave me a belief in myself.